No story mode for Super Smash Bros. on Wii U or 3DS

YouTube ruined everything

One of Super Smash Bros. Brawl's most significant additions was The Subspace Emissary. The single-player (or two-player co-op) campaign starred much of the game's franchise-crossing cast in battles, platforming segments, and cutscenes.

But according to series designer Masahiro Sakurai's latest column in Weekly Famitsu (translated by Kotaku), that darn internet ruined the fun.

"Unfortunately, the movie scenes we worked hard to create were uploaded onto the internet." Sakurai wrote. "You can only truly wow a player the first time he sees [a cutscene]. I felt if players saw the cutscenes outside of the game, they would no longer serve as rewards for playing the game, so I've decided against having them."

The change of direction means Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS won't have a distinct story mode like the Subspace Emissary, though the 3DS will have some kind of mode apart from standard competitive matches. It also means all the CGI work will go into YouTube-centric trailers like that unsettling Villager and Mega Man reveal.

Sakurai also mentioned that players will be able to customize their characters' performance and appearance in some way, and that his team is working on a way to import 3DS customizations into the Wii U version.